Yes, we all know them. Those people who stuff pizza, ice cream and fried chicken down their mouths, and yet still maintain that slim physique. Damn them and their high metabolism. I know. I say, don’t worry about them and start focusing on YOU. Stop blaming your genetics for your slow metabolism. Although genetics do play a role on the rate of your metabolism, there are still ways to boost your metabolism. So, no excuses ladies and gentlemen.

By definition the metabolism is the “rate at which the body burns calories” and the “process by which the body breaks down food and converts that food to energy.” Everybody has an average number of calories that are burned at rest. For some this number could be high for others this number could be low. However, whatever the number might be, there are a few ways to boost your metabolism throughout the day.

Gain Muscles: The more muscle mass one has, the more calories they will burn throughout the day. In fact muscle burns 3 times the calories as body fat does. So don’t be scared to lift weights ladies.

Never Skip Breakfast: Having a healthy hearty breakfast within the first two hours of waking up will get your metabolism up and running.

Drink 8-12 Cups of Cold Water: Drinking cold water burns about 30 calories with each cup, and since water is a zero calorie beverage this is basically a win win situation.

Drink Green Tea with Caffeine: Drinking green tea with caffeine spikes your metabolism, but only for a short amount of time. If you constantly drink it throughout out the day the benefits are substantial.

Capsaicin Pepper: Adding capsaicin pepper to your meals also boost your metabolism, but like green tea it only boost it for a short amount of time. But hey, what’s the harm in burning some extra amount of calories?

Hello friends. If you guys follow the Fitty Fattys Facebook page, I am always reminding you guys to drink your 8 glasses a day. It is so important to drink water for three key reasons:

1.) It aids in fat loss
Why: Because water is a zero calorie drink. Drinking water instead of juice, milk, etc. saves you a lot of empty calories that your body just doesn’t need. It boost your metabolism, which means that your body is constantly burning calories at a higher rate. Check out my post about why you should avoid juices here.

2.) It helps clear out toxins in your body.
Why: Drinking a lot of water makes you pee a lot! Sorry to be so out there, but it’s true. Through your pee is where your toxins release! LOL I say, keep drinking until your pee is clear… and then drink some more.

3.) Increases Energy
Why: The brain is mostly made up of water. So drinking water helps you think, concentrate better and be more alert. Which means that you’ll have more energy to workout! Or maybe just finish some work.

Other benefits of water include: Clearer skin, digestion, headache relief, joint pains etc… I mean the benefits are endless.

Hopefully I’ve convinced all of you to drink more water, but I know it can be hard to remember to do. So here are five ways to incorporate your 8 glasses of water into your daily routine.

GET A FILTERED WATER BOTTLE: Having a filtered water bottle allows you to keep refilling your bottle anywhere. It helps you save money and keeps water on the tip of your hands throughout the day.

1. Right when you wake up drink a glass of water. This will start up your metabolism and keep you energized throughout the day.

2. Drink water with every meal. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snack time. Drinking a cup of water with each meal already knocks off 4 cups of water for your day.

3. Have water close by when you’re working out. There is no doubt that you will be scarfing down water when your in the middle of an intense workout.

4. Take your water bottle with you everywhere! Have it on your desk at work, school EVERYWHERE. Humans have this habit of just eating or drinking whatever is close to them. Sip on it throughout the day, even when you’re not thirsty.

5. If your 8 glasses aren’t fulfilled, drink a glass of water before bed. Getting those toxins out before you sleep is always a good idea. You’ll be ready to release the toxins in the morning, I promise.

And if you just can’t stand the taste of water, you can always add lemon & lime slices, cinnamon, mint etc. The point is to just drink up!

If you follow these tips, you will start to see a change in your body, skin, mind and energy. Just do it! If you have any questions about health or fitness leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to get back to you ASAP!

Side Note: During that “time of the month” I have a very bad problem with cramps, constipation and diarrhea. It’s just freaking unbearable, and the only thing that seems to help me is constantly drinking water. Pepto-Bismol has nothing on H20. This is because water helps to produce regular bowel movements. And water also keeps joints lubricated and muscles more elastic, which weakens cramp pains.

My name is Tiffany and I’m a snacker. I love my pretzels, ice cream, chips, chocolate covered ANYTHING and cookies… LOTS and LOTS of cookies. But I’m trying to stay fioneee, so throughout my healthy journey I’ve came across some really tasty yet HEALTHY snacks. You can purchase these treats from stores like Kroger, Wholefoods, Target and Wal Mart. Let’s get started.

Snap Pea Crisps

To me these crisps taste like Cheetos. They fulfill that crunchy and cheesy powered taste.I had my friends and family try this treat and they absolutely loved it. (They thought it tasted more like Funyuns tho.) My favorite snack, for sure.

Skinny Pop

Skinny Pop popcorn is only 39 calories a cup. The ingredients are simply all natural popcorn, sunflower oil and salt. No artificial ingredients. I loooove when there are only a few ingredients. That’s how you know it’s REAL food.

Hello fit friends! Ever feel like you worked your butt off during a work out, but when you looked at your calorie count app you only burned a small amount of calories? I’ve came upon this problem recently. I ran a mile yesterday and I only burned 92 calories. Granted I could have ran longer to burn more, but I had things to do.

So here are a few things you can do to burn even more calories on your next work out.

1. Turn the air conditioning off OR add another layer of clothing. Simple. You sweat more in warm conditions, which means more calories are being burnt. If your working out outside I recommend adding some extra layers of clothing before working out. Feel the burn!

2. Add in high intensity intervals. When you work out at a comfortable rate don’t expect your burned calorie count to be high. During your work outs go hard for 1 minute then switch to a moderate pace. Do this all through your work out and the calories you burn will be great. Plus you burn more in less time. Pretty sweet.

3. Start fast. When you exercise at a faster pace you’re more likely to keep the intensity throughout the workout. Thus, burning more calories in return.

4. Eat a snack. Eating a low calorie snack, such as a banana will give you the energy you need to beast your work out.

5. Run on incline. Running on incline forces your body to work harder, and therefore more calories are being burned. So find a hill and truck it!

I know a lot of people are busy with school, internships, work, and so on. Trust me I know, I have all three. And it is very difficult to find time to work out on a busy schedule. However, there is a very simple solution to this. Just do it! There is a meme that says ” a 1 hour workout is 4 percent of your day. Now, let me be honest here. There are some days where I feel like I can’t push a single hour out. But I learned to break that hour up. For instance, this morning I woke up early and watched a show on Hulu while doing a very intense cardio work out. Which is listed below. Then I was gone from 9AM to 8PM for class and internship. When I came back, I went for a run and workout my legs and core. And now I’m currently writing this blog, and will be studying for a test right after. LOL (bad me) My point is, you make time for the things that are important to you. So, if losing weight, toning up, or just leading a healthy lifestyle is important to you, make it a priority. Just do it. I mean, what’s stopping you?

1. Jumping Jacks

2. Burpees

3. Squat Jumps

4. Ski Jumps

5. Mountain Climbers

6. High Knees

7. Scissors

8. Football Quick Feet

9. Planks

10. Dance!

Do each of these for 1 minute.

Overview:

-Break up your hour work outs throughout the day if you’re in a time crunch.

-Schedule time to work out.

-Just do it!

PS. I’ve also found that being more active leads more activeness, but on that same note being lazy leads to more laziness. So which do you prefer?

Oh and you can find quick awesome work outs on YouTube. Click here to get great links to YouTube workouts!